Times are Changing
by natsukashii-everything
Summary: Sixth year brought changes at Hogwarts. Suddenly, the future was pushing James, Sirius, Lily, Remus, Peter and everyone else forward, to become adults, whether they liked it or not. Including Lily and James. But what could have happened in 6th year that changed a harsh 'no' to a giddy 'yes?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Halloween or Christmas

Lily

Halloween wasn't really my favorite holiday back home, but ever since I came to Hogwarts, every other holiday paled in comparison. There was something so beautiful, so out of the ordinary, about a holiday celebrating witches and wizards and goblins and ghouls, especially now that it all had become real. Slughorn had thrown a feast, Nearly Headless Nick had thrown a party, the Gryffindors had all thrown a celebration. Halloween at Hogwarts was a spectacle, and I was invited.

At the Gryffindor party, it was madness. I was dancing in the common room with Marlene and Keiko, feeling slightly looser since I had had those butterbeers splashed with a bit of firewhisky. There was a loud band playing in the back, but it wasn't anything I recognized. Sirius must've picked it out. He was a music _fiend_ , even if he was obnoxious as hell.

"Oh my lord," Keiko says, her eyes widening. "Look at Remus!" She points across the room, to where a clump of 6th year boys were, all dressed as newsboys. Except one. Remus, my fellow prefect, was dressed in his usual clothes, although he had a particularly nasty red gash, running all the way across his forehead. It wasn't bleeding, but just the sight of it made me a little nauseous.

"You know, it kinda makes him look hot," Marlene points out, giving me a nudge.

"Marlene, it must hurt really bad," Keiko says, rubbing her own face.

"I'm just saying, it makes him look interesting. Dangerous. I wouldn't usually go for him, but maaybe today."

"You need to get your priorities straight."

"What's wrong with my priorities?"

"Well, for one thing-" I was no longer listening to their argument, but rather looking at Remus. He looked so pale, as if the very life had been sucked out of him. I walked over there, inserting myself into his and Peter's conversation.

"Hey Peter, Remus. Remus, I need to talk to you."

Remus shifts on his feet, tossing a glance at Peter. "Sure. Outside the common room?"

"Um yeah. Don't worry Peter, I won't steal him for too long." Peter looks at me, nodding uneasily.

I take Remus by the arm, guiding him through the crowd, until we are outside, a ways away from the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Remus, were you out yesterday? At the full moon?" I ask, worriedly, craning my neck so I could look at the wound.

He brushed me off. "Lily, I'm fine. I've been worse."

"Worse? You've been worse than this? Oh Remus."

"You know, I'm starting to regret telling you my secret," he says, attempting to wink at me.

This, of all things, brings a smile to my face. "Who else knows?"

"James. Sirius. Peter," he pauses, searching my face. "No one else." I feel my heart sink at the name James, but I guess I should've known. He's one of Remus's best friends, even if he's unsufferable.

"Oh." I can feel the reproach creeping into my voice. " _James_ , Sirius, Peter and I." I force out the word James. It feels uncomfortable on my tongue, almost like a bad word.

"Lily, I know you don't like my friends that much, but that's not something you can hold against me. I was close with them, James especially, long before we were prefects together." As always, there is a ringing of truth in Remus's words. "James is really sorry for what happened last year, he was just trying to help. He's a great guy, just-misguided at times. He really cares about you."

"Okay, okay, okay. I get it. James Potter is a great guy and I'm a fool for not liking him." I hold up my hands in surrender, and then shove Remus. We both erupt into laughter, cackling at the sheer ridicule of it all.

James

"NEWT Transfigurations is whack, man. I mean, it's Monday, November 1st, I have a slight hangover, Wormtail and Padfoot aren't here, and I suddenly have to deal with McGonagall talking at lightspeed? No thanks," I tell Moony as we walk into the classroom and plop ourselves down in the back.

"I mean, at least it's McGonagall, right?" Moony replies sensibly.

"Yeah. I guess." I say, taking a pause.

"Also, Evans is in this class." I add, not being able to help myself.

Remus looks at me, rolling his eyes. Suddenly, I regret everything. **So obvious.** I should've never mentioned it. I run my hand through my hair, trying to shake the thoughts of her.

As if on cue, Lily walks into the room, laughing with Keiko. They're both doubled over, Keiko's long black hair a mess, and Lily's own red hair has a twig sticking out of it. Her green eyes are shiny with tears, like the prefect badge on her robes. A sense of longing fills me up, because oh God, she's so pretty. _Cut it out_ , I tell myself. _She doesn't want to date you. She told you so_. I rip my eyes from her, lest she notices, and then thinks I'm creepy. To be fair, she probably thinks worse things about me already.

Before I know it, class has started, and McGonagall is already in full form with a lecture about class performance. "And that is why we are getting a seating chart," she finishes. "To improve performance so that you aren't distracted by your peers."

An audible groan comes out from the class, and I'm with them. We're not first years! What the hell do we need a seating chart for? But it's too late, she has already begun seating people according to who has the highest marks. "Oi, Moony, I think we might get placed together!" I say.

"Mr. Potter, do you really think I am foolish enough to seat the two of you together?" McGonagall asks, pointing at the me. Her eyes are looking at me, and me alone. Moony is trying not to snigger, clamping his hand to his mouth.

"Hopefully Mrs. Evans is a suitable replacement," she says, directing Lily over to replace Moony. "Mr. Lupin can sit with Mr. Aubrey. I presume that that is acceptable by your standards Mr. Potter?"

I'm too stunned to respond with anything witty. Instead, I'm focusing on the fact that Lily is seated right next to me, running her fingers through her hair. That pretty hair, so long and shiny. _Shit_. I don't know about Moony, but it feels like Christmas has come early.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: It's All Happening So Fast

Lily

McGonagall is in a prickly mood today. First, she changes all of our seats, then she goes on an hour long lecture about all the illegal animagi that supposedly exist out there without us knowing. I'm so bored it hurts. I fiddle with my hair, trying to revisit that hysterical time at the lake with Mary and Keiko. Everyone else was looking at us like we were crazy. We probably are. I imagine Marlene attempting to communicate with the Giant Squid by calling it a 'High and Honorable Cephalopod', who could win a battle against any octopus. I giggle a little, but then quickly shush myself.

Furtively, I glance to see if anyone has noticed. James did. I lock eyes with him, and he smiles for a second, the dimple in his right cheek sticking out. _Oh great, he's laughing at me_. I quickly look away, covering my face with my hand. _Jerk._ He's really more arrogant than I thought. I mean, what right does he have to go around laughing at other people? I mean, here I am, minding my own business, thinking about my happy times with my friends, and he has the nerve to be all condescending! Not to mention, he asked me out last year on that _awful_ day. He thinks he's all that because he's good looking and he's soo smart and he's got cool friends and he's some biiiig Quidditch star. But at the end of the day, he still goes to Hogwarts with the rest of us. James Potter isn't really all that.

 _Oh, who am I kidding?_ A tiny part of me screams. He's Remus's friend. And Remus has excellent judge of character, he would never befriend someone unless they were just as good of a person as he is.

The rest of class passes by without a hitch, until the end, where McGonagall asks us to write a 5 foot paper and discuss our learning with our closest neighbor. Reluctantly, I adjust my chair so I face James.

"So... I got to be honest, this whole animagi thing- it's kinda interesting don't you think?" James asks, running his fingers through his hair.

I eke out a "No, not really. It's so boring," in the most unfeeling, stone cold voice I can. _It's what James deserves_.

His face falls, and I see the light dim in his hazel eyes. I think his tall frame even slouches a little. "Oh I mean, I guess the way McGonagall was talking about it today, yeah. Totally boring," he backtracks.

I immediately feel really bad. "I can't believe she's being so stern today," I say, trying to switch the conversation over to something lighter.

His dimple starts sticking out again. "Yeah, I can't believe she made us all switch desks," he gripes. "Now I have to sit next to you." With that, he pokes me in the shoulder teasingly, and a laugh escapes me.

"You never know. Many people say I'm a riot," I joke.

James raises an eyebrow at this. "You could probably _stop_ a riot with that prefect badge of yours," he offers. "But I guess I'll find out soon enough."

I open my mouth to add something else to the conversation, but before I can, McGonagall dismisses us, saying that class is over. James is over with Remus in a flash, and they both have already headed into the hall. I'm left packing my quills into my bag when Keiko comes over.

"Hey," she says. "Ready to go?"

I shove everything into my bag in one smooth movement, and tell her, "Yeah, let's get going."

* * *

Keiko and I are in the library, writing our Transfiguration papers together. "So I'm totally lost on animagi," Keiko says, squinting at her book. "I'm usually pretty good at that class, but it's been killing me lately."

I pull a book off of the stack that sits between us and frown. "I didn't pay attention at all during the lecture. Is that bad?"

"Well, I didn't understand anything either way," she says, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "We learned about them in third year, but now it's so much more complex. The mandrake leaf, lifespan, form. Ugh, why couldn't I just say 'I wanna be a cat' and then become a cat?"

"Why would you want to be a cat? You hate them," I point out.

"Yeah, yeah," Keiko surrenders, "I just want to pass the next exam. I've asked everyone, and no one understands what in the Merlin she's talking about."

 _James probably does_. "What about Amelia?"

"Bones? Oh she only understands all the registration and legalities. And I tried to get her to explain that, but she's really confusing."

"Sam Boot?"

"I don't think he's taking Transfiguration."

" _Really_? I thought he wanted to be a Healer."

"He changed his mind after he had a finger grown back. Skele-Gro is nasty, apparently."

"Well, what about James?"

"Potter?"

"Who else?"

"I mean he's smart, but he spends every Transfiguration class staring at you." Keiko is still flipping through her book, a smug smile creeping onto her face.

I open my mouth, and I don't know what to say. "Not today," I tell her. "He was actually listening today. He said it was interesting." I nod a little, trying to convince her.

She looks up, closing the book. "Well of course he's paying attention now. He can't stare at you when you're two feet away. That's just creepy. Face the facts Lily. He likes you, and he has since second year."


End file.
